Course Duration: 45+ minutes
This IIRSM-approved Risk Assessment Training course provides an overview of the risk assessment process required by UK health and safety legislation.
It explains when and why risk assessments are required and outlines each of the key steps, from identifying hazards to implementing control measures. Course users will understand the legal duty to carry out risk assessments and recognise how they are essential to creating safer, more compliant workplaces.
| Course Duration | 45+ minutes |
|---|---|
| Approval body | IIRSM |
| Format | Fully online |
| Assessment | Multiple choice |
| Certification | Same-day digital certificate |
| Certificate Valid For | 3 years |
This course contains the following sections:
This section explores employers’ legal duties in minimising accidents and ill health at work. It explains what risk assessment is, why it’s needed and the benefits of undertaking one.
The section also outlines the five steps to risk assessment that help make a safe and secure workplace.
This section explores the most common hazard categories, with examples to illustrate them.
This section explores the first step in the risk assessment process. It explains simple techniques to analyse the workplace systematically, including how to identify hazards and who might be harmed.
This section explores ways to estimate the risk. It explains how to use a risk matrix to identify significant risks in the workplace and what precautions are necessary.
This section walks through evaluating the risks in the workplace. It provides guidance on maintaining existing controls and explains how to effectively select additional control measures.
This section explains how to record hazards found at work and why this is an important step in minimising risk.
This section explains the process of reviewing and updating your risk assessment to ensure control measures are effective and remain relevant.
This section explores how to lower and control risks to acceptable levels. This includes the factors that influence risk at work and how to implement strategies to mitigate them.
This section explores available risk controls. It also explains the hierarchy of risk controls so you understand which measures to prioritise.
This section explains how to determine which risk controls will be most effective in your workplace.
The course certificate includes:
An IIRSM-approved Risk Assessment Training certificate will be available for download and printing instantly upon course completion.
Users must complete an assessment before earning their certificate.
The end-of-course test is:
A score of 80% is required to pass.
The importance of risk assessments cannot be overstated. Without them, hazards can be easily overlooked, leading to potential delays, injuries and loss of life.
Subsequently, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require all employers to make a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment of the risks in their workplace that may harm employees or members of the public. These risks must then be reasonably eliminated or controlled.
This duty applies whatever an organisation’s size – all employers are obligated to assess possible workplace risks.
Online training can help those conducting risk assessments develop the required experience, skills and knowledge to fulfil this legal duty. It can also help employees understand the process, enabling them to make meaningful contributions to risk assessments and overall workplace safety.
Beyond compliance, risk assessments offer a range of benefits, such as::
If you’re an employer, you are required by law to protect the health and safety of both your workers and anybody else who might be harmed by your business activities.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 outline your responsibilities related to risk assessment. At a minimum, you must:
The Health and Safety Executive recognises it’s impossible to eliminate every risk from a workplace, but you must show that every reasonable practical step has been taken to control the risks. This is achieved via risk assessment.
Employers can appoint a competent person from within or outside their organisation to complete the risk assessment on their behalf. However, the competent person must have the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to identify the hazards specific to your business and put appropriate control measures in place. Risk assessment courses can help prepare an individual to meet these requirements.
When completing risk assessments, it is essential to avoid employees in the process. Those at the sharp end will be most familiar with the hazards that they face and the controls necessary to eliminate or reduce them.
Common and effective control measures include providing proper instruction, maintaining workplace equipment in good working order and issuing personal protective equipment. It’s also necessary to routinely review the efficacy of control measures and revise risk assessments as appropriate.
If you’re found in breach of legislation, you may incur penalties such as fines or even imprisonment in serious cases.
The risk assessment process is foundational to health and safety in the UK and must be completed for every work environment. Without proper assessment, hazards may go undetected or be inadequately controlled, putting people in unnecessary danger and leaving employers liable for any harm caused.
Conducting risk assessments is fundamental to ensuring a safe and healthy workplace. This Risk Assessment course will help employers, managers and employees understand this vital process. It can also help prepare any appointed person with the sufficient skills, experience and knowledge to conduct risk assessments on behalf of an employer.
Suitable for a wide range of sectors, trainees will learn the 5 steps to risk assessment:
Following these steps helps employers meet the legal, moral and financial duty to apply risk prevention measures to their workplaces.
A risk assessment is a structured process used to identify potential hazards, evaluate the risks they pose and determine how to eliminate or control those risks effectively. It involves examining what could cause harm, who might be affected, and how likely and severe that harm could be.
Under UK health and safety law, employers are legally required to carry out risk assessments in the workplace. Anything that could cause harm must be identified and managed to protect workers and others who may be affected.
This online risk assessment course helps users to recognise, assess and manage risks in work environments. It covers risk assessment essentials, including hazard identification, risk evaluation and risk mitigation.
The course also provides an overview of the relevant legal duties, including requirements to document and communicate the significant findings of your risk assessments.
The course covers risk assessment fundamentals, providing you with a good understanding of the steps involved and relevant legislation. It includes the following sections:
A risk assessment should be carried out whenever a work activity has the potential to cause injury, illness or other harm.
Risk assessments must also be reviewed and updated after any significant changes to operations, such as new procedures, equipment, personnel or working environments. They should also be revisited after any accident, incident or near miss.
A risk assessment must be carried out by someone who is competent, meaning they have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to assess risks effectively.
In low-risk environments, the competent person may be the employer or a nominated employee. In more complex or high-risk settings, a trained health and safety professional may be required.
Regardless of who completes the assessment, the employer remains legally responsible. They must ensure that the person carrying out the assessment is sufficiently competent for the task.
Yes. Immediately after completing this online course, you can download a printable training certificate.
The Risk Assessment Training course covers the process of identifying potential hazards within a workplace, evaluating the risks associated with those hazards and determining suitable measures to control them.
Risk management training typically covers the risk assessment process as well as requirements to monitor and review risks and control measures over time. Other risk assessment courses focus on a specific risk or work environment.
Risk assessment training is not legally required by name, but employers are legally responsible for ensuring that risk assessments are carried out by a competent person.
Competence means having the right combination of experience, skills and knowledge, and training is one of the most effective ways to build and demonstrate that knowledge. Providing appropriate training helps employers meet their legal duties and reduce the risk of inadequate assessments.
Yes. This Risk Assessment Training course is approved by the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).
Employers are legally responsible for ensuring that risk assessments are carried out. They can conduct the assessment themselves if they’re competent to do so, or appoint another competent person to complete it on their behalf.
This appointee could be a trained employee or an external professional, depending on the complexity of the work and the level of expertise required.
The training certificate for this course expires after three years. After this period, you will need to retake the course to refresh your knowledge and renew your certification.
The course is priced at £25 +VAT for a single trainee. Discounted rates are available for bulk purchases. Speak to your account manager or click on the “Discount” button at the top of the page for more information.
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